Brexit was not formally on the agenda for the meeting of ministers but was inevitably raised on the sidelines given the looming deadline for a deal.

The meeting was being hosted in Gymnich, Austria, because the country is chair of the European Council until the end of the year.

Austria’s foreign minister Karin Kneissl, who recently got married at a ceremony at which Russian president Vladimir Putin was a guest, was more upbeat about Brexit than her Swedish counterpart.

“I’m convinced that there were much worse times in British history,” she said. “I’m very confident that Britain and the continent will overcome that and will hopefully start a solid, new working relationship.”